What themes stood out most to you in the assigned readings and lecture this week? What questions did the lectures and readings raise for you? Please post your responses in the comment section below.
What stood out to me this week was the fact that Herbert Hoover received very little credit for what he started. He began many of the programs and ideas that Roosevelt later made successful, but he is largely regarded as a failure. He started the RFC, which was supposed to help money trickle down from through the banks to the lower class, and the only reason it didn't work was because he didn't put enough money into it. The same thing happened with his public works projects; Hoover just didn't understand how drastic the Depression was, so he didn't put enough money into it. Roosevelt basically did what Hoover did, but better, so in comparison, Hoover looks like an incapable president. But Hoover tried his best, and he had nothing to base the scale of this disaster on. He can't be blamed as much, because he implemented some good ideas.
The thing that stood out most this week was the incredibly rapid expansion of Government intervention into the everyday lives of American Citizens. Before the new deal, never had government taken such an active role in dictating how banks, business's, and farms should be run, but through new deal legislation like the National Banking Act of 1933 and the National Industrial Recovery Act as well as others, the federal government began to exercise direct oversight of these entities. FDR's Government went so far in exercising executive power to control industries, that key provisions from some of the bills that were passed were ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court. My question would be to what extent to modern historians credit the emergence out of the depression to the new deal as opposed to the economic growth surrounding world war II and its aftermath
What stood out most to me was actually the inaugural address of Franklin Roosevelt. It actually shared a haunting similarity to many of the initial speeches given by Adolf Hitler in his parallel rise to power in Nazi Germany at the same time, particularly the insistence on putting back to work a country shattered by economic depression. Combined with the consolidation of central power under both leaders in their respective countries, one has to wonder if the policies of Roosevelt stepped too far beyond the bounds of the Constitution and crossed into the realm of near-dictatorship not unlike Hitler.
What stood out to me was the number of institutions and programs that were created during the New Deal. Also, the government took on an very active role and intervened in the economic sector, through direct oversight of the banking transactions, backing banks with federal funding, employing men in ICC and PWAP, giving the tax money form processing industry to farmers, etc. It was not surprising that some critiqued that FDR is too far towards the socialist government. My question is: after the Great Depression, did the public feel better about socialist? Is there increased support for socialist?
Roosevelt said the main problem is speculation with other people’s money and proclaimed the solution is that we need to make sure the currency is solvent. What I found interesting is Roosevelt's war mentality towards tackling the problems caused by the Great Depression. He essentially saw the depression as a foreign enemy. His New Deal set a variety of policies in place that helped restore faith in banks and restore purchasing power to the American workers. A major concept this week was restoring this purchasing power to the American people in order to pump funds back into the economy. FDR's strategies were on way, way bigger scale than Hoover's which lead to his success in aiding the American economy and people.
The thing that stood out to me was the political transformation that took place during the FDR administration and the New Deal. Because the New Deal programs led to the establishment and rise of the welfare state in American society, anyone who was poor or unemployed was included in the programs. As a result, huge numbers of African Americans switched from the Republican to the Democratic party in support of FDR's actions. There was also a similar trend in workers, who were becoming Democrats after they started receiving resources through Democratic relief groups. One thing I was wondering was whether the New Deal programs are credited for getting the US out of the depression or if the wartime economic boom is?
The theme that stood out to me most was how FDR was really able to create jobs that benefited struggling workers, but also boosted moral and creativity, and helped preserve the environment. Through the work of Civilian Conservation Corps, workers built wildlife refuges, roads, bridges, animal shelters, and much more. Specifically their work with the Tennessee Valley Authority had a great effect on the environment as well as the economy of the area. They were able to obtain energy from the valley, while also preventing soil erosion and controlling floods. I thought this was amazing because it benefited both humans and the environment at a time when human struggle was at a high point. He was also not only employing laborers as it is seen through the Public Works of Art Project. It is great that he saw the importance of art in relation to economic struggle and saw how the employment of artists is also important to society. My question from the week is, was inflation a problem during the Great Depression and did the increase in government spending affect the value of US currency?
What stood out to me from the lectures this week was the variety of effort put into the New Deals that attempted to enhance all parts of the American economy, such as implementing Social Security and the RFC. With these public works programs, the country experienced some growth while assisting certain groups of people, specifically older people with the social security and municipalities with the RFC. My question was what did Professor Dickerson mean by a broker state?
One theme that stood out to me during this week's lectures was the extension of federal power into the lives of individuals during the Great Depression. The economic and public works programs in the New Deal that bailed out banks, created jobs, and helped laborers earn decent wages and working hours were all examples of the federal government taking aggressive action against the depression and interfering with private lives and businesses to stimulate the national economy. My question is how many of the organizations/programs established as part of the New Deal's "alphabet soup" still exist and have a big role in society today?
I'm interested in the American Liberty League's association with the Democratic Party. It was the one of the more conservative opponents to FDR's New Deal, but its leaders were largely members of FDR's political party. What effect did this have on FDR's label as a "Democrat"? The American Liberty League, although only active for a few years of FDR's extended presidency, certainly had a profound influence on the acceptance of the New Deals programs. Was FDR forced to distance himself from partisan affairs in order to push his programs onto the public? We know from his inaugural address that he wanted to exercise more executive power, affirming the Great Depression as a foreign enemy... perhaps his distanced position from the partisan affairs in Congress helped establish a powerful Executive Order.
What interested me the post from this past week was the extent to which FDR increased his presidential power. The fact that several of his programs were struck down by the supreme court, and that he issued many presidential mandates demonstrates how he used executive power more than any other presidents up to the time (as far as I am aware). I am curious as to how Congress reacted to such a rapid rise in power, and how the government was able to pay for all of the programs that FDR implemented. While helpful, my question is whether or not the United States had truly pulled out of the depression before the war started. To me, it seems as if the war was the major catalyst for recovery, and the New Deal was simply the precursor. Would the New Deal have been effective if WWII had not started? In addition, the extent to which federal programs permeated throughout the country was interesting as well. The fact that the US went through another mini depression in 1937 and 1938 after Roosevelt cut spending begs the question as to whether or not the deal was ultimately successful.
I thought that it was interesting how FDR took such great strides to end the Depression, his mindset even being described as a "war mentality" about fighting the Great Depression. I believe that FDR was so adament about ending this economic crisis not only because it would reflect well on his abilities as leader of the nation, but also because he wanted the US to preserve its image as a powerful nation. This is exhibited with programs such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, which brought electricity to the rural south. By utilizing the TVA, FDR was able to bring less developed areas of the country up to par with the more modern places, which would no doubt do well on the nation's image. FDR's warlike stance on ending the Depression is noticeable based on the policies that he utilized and the decisions he made. For example, his very first day in office, he issued a banking holiday, where all the banks were closed and inspected, and all banking activity ceased. Banks were in total government control, and all transactions were monitored, resulting in a complete overhaul of the nation's banking system. This rather aggressive move to end the Depression and to ensure that another one like it does not happen shows this warlike mentality that FDR took on the matter.
What stood out to me in this week's lecture was the large amounts of intervention of the federal state into the life of the individual and corporations. For example, The National Industrial Recovery Act created a new relationship between the government and industry. The government now regulated production, prices, and wages. My main question relating to the NIRA is: How did the corporations react to this unprecedented government intervention in their affairs?
The aspect of the reading and lectures this week that stood out to me was the massive and lasting effect of the works of the alphabet soup institutions. Institutions such as the TVA, which built damns and flood controls throughout the Tennessee region, had huge impacts beyond just employment. Programs such as the Federal Art Project employed citizens who used their talents to contribute to the aesthetics of towns across the nation.Now, it is hard to travel across America without seeing the legacy of these programs, such as the mural in Duquesne, PN which Professor Dickerson pointed out. My question for this week is: Why are these drastic works programs not used more often in countries that suffer severe economic depression, such as the U.S in the 1930s?
What stood out to me this week was the fact that Herbert Hoover received very little credit for what he started. He began many of the programs and ideas that Roosevelt later made successful, but he is largely regarded as a failure. He started the RFC, which was supposed to help money trickle down from through the banks to the lower class, and the only reason it didn't work was because he didn't put enough money into it. The same thing happened with his public works projects; Hoover just didn't understand how drastic the Depression was, so he didn't put enough money into it. Roosevelt basically did what Hoover did, but better, so in comparison, Hoover looks like an incapable president. But Hoover tried his best, and he had nothing to base the scale of this disaster on. He can't be blamed as much, because he implemented some good ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that stood out most this week was the incredibly rapid expansion of Government intervention into the everyday lives of American Citizens. Before the new deal, never had government taken such an active role in dictating how banks, business's, and farms should be run, but through new deal legislation like the National Banking Act of 1933 and the National Industrial Recovery Act as well as others, the federal government began to exercise direct oversight of these entities. FDR's Government went so far in exercising executive power to control industries, that key provisions from some of the bills that were passed were ruled unconstitutional by the supreme court. My question would be to what extent to modern historians credit the emergence out of the depression to the new deal as opposed to the economic growth surrounding world war II and its aftermath
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out most to me was actually the inaugural address of Franklin Roosevelt. It actually shared a haunting similarity to many of the initial speeches given by Adolf Hitler in his parallel rise to power in Nazi Germany at the same time, particularly the insistence on putting back to work a country shattered by economic depression. Combined with the consolidation of central power under both leaders in their respective countries, one has to wonder if the policies of Roosevelt stepped too far beyond the bounds of the Constitution and crossed into the realm of near-dictatorship not unlike Hitler.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me was the number of institutions and programs that were created during the New Deal. Also, the government took on an very active role and intervened in the economic sector, through direct oversight of the banking transactions, backing banks with federal funding, employing men in ICC and PWAP, giving the tax money form processing industry to farmers, etc. It was not surprising that some critiqued that FDR is too far towards the socialist government. My question is: after the Great Depression, did the public feel better about socialist? Is there increased support for socialist?
ReplyDeleteRoosevelt said the main problem is speculation with other people’s money and proclaimed the solution is that we need to make sure the currency is solvent. What I found interesting is Roosevelt's war mentality towards tackling the problems caused by the Great Depression. He essentially saw the depression as a foreign enemy. His New Deal set a variety of policies in place that helped restore faith in banks and restore purchasing power to the American workers. A major concept this week was restoring this purchasing power to the American people in order to pump funds back into the economy. FDR's strategies were on way, way bigger scale than Hoover's which lead to his success in aiding the American economy and people.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that stood out to me was the political transformation that took place during the FDR administration and the New Deal. Because the New Deal programs led to the establishment and rise of the welfare state in American society, anyone who was poor or unemployed was included in the programs. As a result, huge numbers of African Americans switched from the Republican to the Democratic party in support of FDR's actions. There was also a similar trend in workers, who were becoming Democrats after they started receiving resources through Democratic relief groups. One thing I was wondering was whether the New Deal programs are credited for getting the US out of the depression or if the wartime economic boom is?
ReplyDeleteThe theme that stood out to me most was how FDR was really able to create jobs that benefited struggling workers, but also boosted moral and creativity, and helped preserve the environment. Through the work of Civilian Conservation Corps, workers built wildlife refuges, roads, bridges, animal shelters, and much more. Specifically their work with the Tennessee Valley Authority had a great effect on the environment as well as the economy of the area. They were able to obtain energy from the valley, while also preventing soil erosion and controlling floods. I thought this was amazing because it benefited both humans and the environment at a time when human struggle was at a high point. He was also not only employing laborers as it is seen through the Public Works of Art Project. It is great that he saw the importance of art in relation to economic struggle and saw how the employment of artists is also important to society. My question from the week is, was inflation a problem during the Great Depression and did the increase in government spending affect the value of US currency?
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me from the lectures this week was the variety of effort put into the New Deals that attempted to enhance all parts of the American economy, such as implementing Social Security and the RFC. With these public works programs, the country experienced some growth while assisting certain groups of people, specifically older people with the social security and municipalities with the RFC. My question was what did Professor Dickerson mean by a broker state?
ReplyDeleteOne theme that stood out to me during this week's lectures was the extension of federal power into the lives of individuals during the Great Depression. The economic and public works programs in the New Deal that bailed out banks, created jobs, and helped laborers earn decent wages and working hours were all examples of the federal government taking aggressive action against the depression and interfering with private lives and businesses to stimulate the national economy. My question is how many of the organizations/programs established as part of the New Deal's "alphabet soup" still exist and have a big role in society today?
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in the American Liberty League's association with the Democratic Party. It was the one of the more conservative opponents to FDR's New Deal, but its leaders were largely members of FDR's political party. What effect did this have on FDR's label as a "Democrat"? The American Liberty League, although only active for a few years of FDR's extended presidency, certainly had a profound influence on the acceptance of the New Deals programs. Was FDR forced to distance himself from partisan affairs in order to push his programs onto the public? We know from his inaugural address that he wanted to exercise more executive power, affirming the Great Depression as a foreign enemy... perhaps his distanced position from the partisan affairs in Congress helped establish a powerful Executive Order.
ReplyDeleteWhat interested me the post from this past week was the extent to which FDR increased his presidential power. The fact that several of his programs were struck down by the supreme court, and that he issued many presidential mandates demonstrates how he used executive power more than any other presidents up to the time (as far as I am aware). I am curious as to how Congress reacted to such a rapid rise in power, and how the government was able to pay for all of the programs that FDR implemented. While helpful, my question is whether or not the United States had truly pulled out of the depression before the war started. To me, it seems as if the war was the major catalyst for recovery, and the New Deal was simply the precursor. Would the New Deal have been effective if WWII had not started? In addition, the extent to which federal programs permeated throughout the country was interesting as well. The fact that the US went through another mini depression in 1937 and 1938 after Roosevelt cut spending begs the question as to whether or not the deal was ultimately successful.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was interesting how FDR took such great strides to end the Depression, his mindset even being described as a "war mentality" about fighting the Great Depression. I believe that FDR was so adament about ending this economic crisis not only because it would reflect well on his abilities as leader of the nation, but also because he wanted the US to preserve its image as a powerful nation. This is exhibited with programs such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, which brought electricity to the rural south. By utilizing the TVA, FDR was able to bring less developed areas of the country up to par with the more modern places, which would no doubt do well on the nation's image.
ReplyDeleteFDR's warlike stance on ending the Depression is noticeable based on the policies that he utilized and the decisions he made. For example, his very first day in office, he issued a banking holiday, where all the banks were closed and inspected, and all banking activity ceased. Banks were in total government control, and all transactions were monitored, resulting in a complete overhaul of the nation's banking system. This rather aggressive move to end the Depression and to ensure that another one like it does not happen shows this warlike mentality that FDR took on the matter.
One question I was left with was how exactly was the Agricultural Adjustment Act considered unconstitutional?
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me in this week's lecture was the large amounts of intervention of the federal state into the life of the individual and corporations. For example, The National Industrial Recovery Act created a new relationship between the government and industry. The government now regulated production, prices, and wages. My main question relating to the NIRA is: How did the corporations react to this unprecedented government intervention in their affairs?
ReplyDeleteThe aspect of the reading and lectures this week that stood out to me was the massive and lasting effect of the works of the alphabet soup institutions. Institutions such as the TVA, which built damns and flood controls throughout the Tennessee region, had huge impacts beyond just employment. Programs such as the Federal Art Project employed citizens who used their talents to contribute to the aesthetics of towns across the nation.Now, it is hard to travel across America without seeing the legacy of these programs, such as the mural in Duquesne, PN which Professor Dickerson pointed out. My question for this week is: Why are these drastic works programs not used more often in countries that suffer severe economic depression, such as the U.S in the 1930s?
ReplyDelete